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head.
    “Daft place for a statue.” Eve reached for the cap. “I wonder who put it there?”
    “I wouldn’t touch that,” Cameron cautioned, stepping over the paws of the beast. “Not until we know how this place works. We might have to barter for entrance or something –”
    “Oh nonsense. It’s just a hat on a stone cat. There’s no one about.” She popped the cap on her head, crossedto the open carriage door, and struck a pose. “Would you care to board? First, second and third class tickets are available…” She raised an eyebrow in Morgan’s direction. “Some of us may have to travel in the guard’s van.”
    There was a grating sound like something heavy being dragged, and a smell of fresh chalk dust. Below Cameron’s feet, the shape of the shadows changed, as if a very large object was now blocking the light. He turned around.
    The statue was standing up.
    It shook its mane, with a noise like a load of paving slabs being crashed together. Even in motion its flesh had a marbled quality: muscles standing out in stony rivulets along its flanks.
    “This is
my
station.” The creature prowled forward, its joints grinding, forcing the trio to scatter. “I decide who boards.”
    Eve squeaked. “I didn’t realise you were alive! I meant no harm.” She snatched the hat off her head and held it out. “Nice… kitty?”
    “
Lion
is the word you are searching for,” said the creature. Flecks of gold quartz flashed in its eyes. “And I’m not sure I am nice. Now, if you’d all be good enough to stand still, I can decide what order to eat you in.” Its jaws opened and a collection of tiny hard spherical objects rattled to the ground and rolled away across the platform.
    Ok
, thought Cameron,
a stone lion has stone drool. That makes a mad sort of sense
.
    Morgan tensed. He was checking out the exits, gauging whether they could make it past the lion andonto the train, or off the platform and along the rails, or back through the station. With a slight shake of his head, he indicated now was not the time to run. Cameron silently agreed; they had no idea of the speed and agility of the creature. If its temperament was anything like that of a domestic cat, a sudden move might even cause it to pounce…
    Better try and bluff it out.
    “We’re here to see Janus. You’ve got to let us on the train.” Cameron spoke with a conviction he didn’t really possess. “We need to get a new ward to protect our house –”
    “And the girl-woman needs a heart, and your dog-friend could use a brain. Tell someone who cares.” The lion yawned, letting more pebble-drool hail down. “Janus won’t see just anyone. I can’t let every random board the January Express.” Its chest puffed importantly. “There’s got to be a limiting factor – and that’s me.”
    “The Limiting Lion?” Morgan gave a crooked grin. “Catchy name.”
    “It’s not my name, it’s a job description!”
the lion roared. A fresh torrent of stone drool cascaded from its jaws, rolling like marbles across the ground. “And it’s better than my sister got, abandoned underwater for 2000 years, so have a care! I’m a creature of importance!”
    Cameron swiftly drew from his pocket the cracked disc they’d found in the attic. He held it up, acutely aware his reach extended only to the base of the lion’s chest. “Look – Janus’s token. This is his magic, his name – that must give me some rights?”
    “This is his sigil, certainly. But are you the ‘Isobel Ives’ named?” The lion lowered its muzzle and peered.The close scrutiny of its eyes was unnerving – Cameron could hear the tiny grinding sounds they made as they shifted about in their marble sockets. “You look like a man cub to me. Perhaps I should eat you anyway, and be done.”
    “I’m her grandson,” Cameron said forcefully. “Her only living relative. That means the token rightfully passes to me. You’ve got to respect that!”
    The lion’s paw lifted and